The invention relates generally to catheters and, more specifically, to a catheter having a protective cover that protects the sharp edge after insertion of the catheter into the body of a patient.
Many current medical practices involve gaining access to a body cavity or blood vessel by the penetration of tissues with a sharp edged instrument, most typically a needle. The sharp edged instrument may be used to obtain a tissue sample. In other situations, the sharp edged instrument is replaced by a blunt edged catheter which may remain in the body for an extended period of time.
The procedure for inserting a catheter into a blood vessel is usually performed using the Seldinger technique wherein a sharp edged needle is used to penetrate the tissues and into the blood vessel, a guide wire is inserted through the needle into the vessel, the needle is removed, and a catheter having a blunt edge is advanced along the guide wire and into the vessel.
The sharp edged instrument cannot be left in the body for any extended period of time due to the potential for trauma from the sharp edge. A catheter may be used, for example, to drain fluid from the chest cavity. Embedding a sharp edged needle would pose a risk of penetrating and collapsing a lung.
While the Seldinger technique does provide a method for insertion of a blunt edged catheter that remains in the body, it is complex, cumbersome, and time consuming to perform. In addition, the multiple parts involved in the Seldinger technique result in increased waste of sterile supplies and is expensive. There is, accordingly, a need for a catheterization system which is simpler and faster to use, less expensive, and results in less waste than known systems.